Phillies@Yankees

Game 1: Roy Halladay has great career numbers against the Yankees. It seemed like he would the perfect one to open up this series in a rematch of the 2009 WS. The Phillies were facing a familiar foe in CC Sabathia. Yeah, Halladay got roughed up and by roughed up I mean he gave a 2-run broken bat homerun to Nick Swisher and a first row homerun to left field to Mark Teixeira. I don't want to sound lie a whiner, because I know CBP has it's share of cheap homers (see Jayson Werth against Padres' Garland), but Mark Teixeira's homerun is a flyout at the Bank. That's all I'm saying. In all he gave up 6 ER in 6 innings while striking out 5 and walking 2. The offense scored 3 runs in the 4th inning against CC and that would be it for them for the night. Antonio Bastardo gave up 2 runs to seal the victory for the Yankees. Bad start to this series. Yankees 8-3

Game 2: I mentioned this on twitter after Moyer's last start against the Red Sox and I still stand by it but I also give Jamie Moyer all the credit in the world. He was fabulous. He was sensational. He was masterful. He was all of the above. I do feel that everytime he pitches badly, people will worry that he's too old and all that nonsense. Against a potent Yankees offense, he held them to 3 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings. He kept them off balanced and he got a lot of groundballs, which is a good thing when pitching in new Yankee Stadium. The offense got to A.J. Burnett early. They scored 4 in the 2nd inning with the big blow being a triple by Shane Victorino with the bases loaded. They scored 2 in the 4th inning when back-to-back solo homeruns from Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. That would be all the scoring and all that Jamie Moyer would need. Brad Lidge pitched the 9th inning in a 4-run game. He did allow one run but he struck out 3, which was good to see. Solid win. Phils 6-3

Game 3: In the finale of a series and the "rubber match" Kyle Kendrick wouldn't be the guy I'd want out there, except on this night he was. He shut down the Yankees and allowed just 1 run in 7 strong innings. He got out of the inning on a spectacular catch from Placido Polanco. The offense went down in order through the first 3 innings but an error by the Yankees allowed them to take a 1-0 lead on a Ryan Howard single. They would extend the lead in the next inning because of a Shane Victorino 2-run shot. It stayed that way until Kendrick got into some trouble in the 6th. He retired the first 2 batters of the inning. He then allowed a walk, a single and a single to put the Yankees on the board and cut the deficit to 2. That's when Polly made the aforementioned catch on the tarp to get Kendrick out of any more trouble. Jose Contreras pitched the 8th and made an unbelievable behind the back catch on a ball hit by Curtis Granderson. The offense in the 9th was swoon-worthy. Against Joba Chamberlain they scored 3 runs--2 came on sac flys, and another on a 2-out RBI double by Raul Ibanez. It made a close game, a bloodbath and a sigh of relief. It was good to win a series against a good team like the Yankees and even better after seeing Roy Halladay lose the first game. Phils 7-1

This is not how I imagined the series unfolding, but I'll definitely take it. I would never have guessed that Jamie Moyer and Kyle would shut down the Yankees on consecutive nights. Everyone wants to say that the Phils are back, but I just think we have to let the games play out before we crown them World Series champions or "out of it" in June. Things are obviously clicking right now so I am cautiously optimistic. It's good to see them win this series especially after dropping the first one, but they're still 3.5 behind the Braves and 3 behind the Mets. More wins, please!

Golden Girls Quote of the Day:
Rose: We really enjoyed your lecture on modern sculpture.
Laszlo: I didn't think anyone was paying attention.
Rose: Oh, we sure were, especially Dorothy. She even talked about taking up sculpting.
Laszlo: Really?
Dorothy: [laughing] Oh no, I didn't.
Rose: Yes you did! You said you'd like to help him mold his clay or buff his marble anytime!
Dorothy: Rose is such a kidder!

Phillies vs. Brewers

Game 1: Retro night at Miller Park and the Phillies brought back the powder blue unis with (unfortunate) present day helmets. It only seemed fitting that Jamie Moyer got the start. They looked really good in the uniforms and played well. Ryan Howard hit a 2-run homerun in the first inning and then added another in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately this is were Jamie ran into trouble. He gave up 3 solo homeruns in the 2nd inning to Fielder, Edmonds, and Kottaras to tie it. Raul Ibanez gave the Phils the lead again the 4th with a solo shot. They would add on 5 more runs throughout the game to secure the win. Jamie went 6 1/3 innings giving up 5 runs, only 4 earned. They should wear the powder blue unis more often. They looked so good! Phils 9-5

Game 2: Joe Blanton got the start looking for his first win of the year. The offense was once again scored enough for the starting pitcher. They scored in the second on an RBI by Victorino, in the third on an RBI double by Chase Utley, and again on a 2-run homerun in the sixth by Victorino. They went into the ninth leading 10-6. Dave Herndon made it a close game and Charlie had to use Contreras. He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but proceeded to strikeout the next two to earn his first career save. Joe Blanton went 7 innings giving up 5 earned runs (3 on a homerun off the bat of Corey Hart). Phils 10-6

Game 3: Sunday Night Baseball and most Philadelphia fans were probably watching the Flyers, but not this chica. Looking for the sweep, the Phillies turned to Cole Hamels. The Phils took a 1-0 in the 1st and ofter a rocky bottom of the second, they escaped with that lead. Cole helped his cause with an RBI double and they would eventually take a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI double by Wilson Valdez. RISP numbers didn't look so good considering Cole Hamels came up twice with 2 outs and the bases loaded. The Brewers eventually broke through in the 6th with back-to-back solo homeruns to make it a 3-2 game. The Phillies scored once more when Chase Utley struck out but Victorino scored on the wild pitch. The bullpen held the lead and JC Romero nailed down the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning earning his first save of the season. Cole went 6 2/3 innings allowing only 2 earned runs. The Phillies played solid defense that helped them win the game. It was a breezy game. There was nothing dramatic, just a nice, easy win. The Phillies swept this series and moved to 10 games over .500 (23-13). Jimmy will also return for the next series against the Pirates at CBP. Phils 4-2

Golden Girls Quote of the Day:
[about Gloria]
Dorothy: She's out of M-O-N-E-Y.
[Stan holding his monkey made from a traffic cone]
Stan: Well, she's not getting mine!
Dorothy: She's not out of monkey, Stan; she's out of money!

Phillies vs. Braves

R.I.P. Robin Roberts
September 30, 1926 – May 6, 2010

Game 1: Jamie Moyer is 47 years old. He also hates when people talk about his again in regards to his pitching performance(s). Well on Friday May 7, 2010 he became the oldest player to a complete game shutout. He completely dominated the Braves, allowing them only 2 hits (both to Troy Glaus). The first hit actually came in the 2nd inning, which was promptly followed by a double play. Jamie Moyer only threw 3 pitches in that inning, that's what I call efficiency. It only took him 105 pitches to breeze through this game. Between the first hit and the second hit, he had retired 17 in a row. I know the Braves had a few of their guys out of their lineup like McCann and Heyward but Jamie freakin' Moyer still dominated. The offense was more than enough. It all got started with a 3-run shot by Jayson Werth, 2-run singles by Ibanez and Valdez in the 5th inning. It was a fun game and easily top 3 so far of this season. Phils 7-0

Game 2: Charlie didn't manage the game because he had to attend his daughter's wedding. I didn't even know he had a daughter. Pete Mackanin took over. Chase and Chooch (who would enter the game later when Schneider left with an Achilles strain or something: later placed on the 15-day DL) sat out of this game and we had a kooky lineup. Joe Blanton pitched relatively well, allowing 3 runs in six innings of work. The offense couldn't get it going other than an RBI single by Shane Victorino. They left a lot of guys on base and couldn't get that elusive hit to really break it open. No Charlie AND Chase= loss. Braves 4-1

Game 3: All was right in the world as both Chase Utley and Charlie Manuel returned. Cole Hamels got out of a mini jam in the first after allowing a lead-off double. The runner would stay put with two outs. After a single by Troy Glaus to right field, Jayson Werth threw the runner out at the plate. The offense scored early and often. They got the bases load in the first inning with one out, Jayson Werth would be hit with a pitch and Ibanez would get a sac fly. Later in the game Polanco and Werth both hit solo homeruns to give the Phillies a 4-0 lead. Cole Hamels almost gave it all back in the 5th when the Braves scored 3 runs. That would be the end of the day for Hamels as the bullpen took over; he was sufficient but I wish he would be more than that as well as consistent. Shane Victorino did add an insurance run in the 7th via a solo homer. Chad Durbin came in for 2 innings, allowing no hits or walks and striking out 4. Jose Contreras pitched the 8th and Brad Lidge got a scary save in the 9th. It was a 1-2-3 inning for Lidge but the wind knocked down what looked to be 2 homeruns. The Phillies had a great homestand as they won all three series and had a record of 7-3. Phils 5-3

Golden Girls quote of the day (In honor of Betty White on SNL):
Rose: [on Blanche] I think she's a gerchominochen.
Doctor: Well, what exactly does that mean?
Rose: Literally, it's the precise moment when dog doo turns white. But in general, it refers to the kind of person you don't want to share your hoodencoggles with.
Dorothy: Rose, if you say one more of those stupid words, so help me —
Rose: Oh, blow it out your Tubenburbles!

*And Congratulations to Dallas Braden of the A's for his perfect game against the Rays (again)!

Phillies vs. Cardinals

Game 1: The return of Joe Blanton. It was going so well for 6 2/3 innings. He had given up only one run up to that point. The Phils tied it up at 1 on a sac fly from Juan Castro. In the 7th inning, after allowing the Cardinals to score on a solo homerun, Charlie pulled him out of the game. I was following the game on my sister's phone (had to work, yuck!) and honestly felt Charlie should have given him one more batter but instead put in Nelson Figueroa to get out of a 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. After a wild pitch and an intentional walk, he gave up a bases-clearing double, followed up by an RBI single. It sort of put the game out of reach. Jayson Werth hit a solo HR in the bottom of the 7th and Chase Utley hit a HR in the bottom of the 9th but it was not enough as the Phils dropped the first game of this 4-game series. There was also a fan that ran on the field and got tased-more on this later. Cardinals 6-3

Game 2: Cole Hamels got the start and was sensational. He went 8 innings without giving up a run. He held a 1-run lead due to an Ibanez triple (!) and a Chooch sac fly. Wainwright started the game for the Cardinals so the Phils' offense could only muster that one run, although they did have a few opportunities. Well to begin the top of the 9th, another fucking douchebag fan ran onto the field. After all was settled, Cole gave up back-to-back doubles and was pulled from the game in favor of Brad Lidge. Whether or not Hamels was thrown off by the fan is pointless. He's a professional and should be focused. He had thrown over a 110 pitches so that was likely the reason. Well Brad Lidge was also fabulous. The first batter grounded out to Howard and moved the runner over to third. The second batter was walked intentionally (to either set up a dp or have Lidge face a more inexperienced, right-handed batter) and he proceeded to strike him out on 3 pitches. The four batter of the inning flied out to center to preserve the tie. As the Phils went scoreless in the bottom of the 9th, Contreras pitched a scoreless 10th (2 Ks and 1 hit). Ruiz led of the 10th and smoked the first ball just foul. He got another opportunity 3 pitches later as he homered to left field. It was a great win for the Phillies and one with plenty of positives. Cole Hamels gave a strong performance (we need more of this, consistency please!), they got a scoreless inning out of Brad Lidge in a tough situation, and Jose Contreras has been one of the few bright spots out of the bullpen so far this year. Lastly, Chooch to the All-star game? That needs to happen. Phils 2-1

Game 3: With Kyle Kendrick starting, it's doesn't exactly inspire confidence. He was actually good! His walk to strike ratio wasn't great but he pitched out of all the little trouble he got himself into. He went 7 innings, 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Placido Polanco led the way with a 2-run homerun off of Brad Penny, and in the following inning Shane hit a solo homerun. The scoring ended with a pinch-hit RBI double off the bat of Greg Dobbs. Dannys Baez and Jose Contreras pitched hitless, scoreless innings to finish the game. It was such a clean, solid win. It's nice to see them come back after last night's thriller and continue playing winning baseball. I guess Kyle Kendrick has earned himself another start. Also, KK's career ERA against the Cardinals dropped to 1.67 because of his 7-hit shutout. It's the lowest ERA he has against any team. Phils 4-0

I love you Charlie. Please never take your hands out of your pants.

Game 4: Before the game, the Phils got awful news that Whiz kid legend, Robin Roberts died in his sleep last night. The Phillies announced they would hang his jersey in the dugout for all home and away games. They'll also wear a #36 patch. Reading more about him, he pitched 305 complete games! That is so insane and my mind is officially blown. Good baseball player, and by all accounts, an even better person.

Back to baseball. The Phillies looking for a series win, who better to be on the mound then Roy Halladay. Jayson Werth started the scoring with a 3-run shot in the first. In the top of the second, the leadoff hitter flied out to Werth but the wind and sun caused it to bounce off his glove. It was originally scored a triple (bullshit) and later it was rightfully changed to an error. It's important because it lowered Roy's ERA to 1.45. Won't bother describing all the offense other than to say they scored early and often, which was more than plenty for Halladay; Raul also hit his second homer of the season, which was smoked. He didn't look like he had his best stuff but pitched out of trouble and seemed like he was squeezed a little bit by the homeplate umpire. His final line was 7IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB (unacceptable-kidding!), and 9 ks. It only took 119 pitches. It's saying something when everyone's talking about Roy Halladay not having his best stuff and he still goes 7 innings while allowing only one earned run. He is perfection. I'm glad we have him. He is a perfect fit for this team. Phils 7-2

Albert Pujols, stop standing like that. It makes me uncomfortable.

Golden Girls quote of the day:
Mr. Allen: "Goodbye Mrs. Petrillo. Sorry you didn't have the opportunity to experience our museum. I'd love for you to see my most prized aquisition, a magnificent pair of Gauguins."
Sophia: "What are you a pervert?! I was married for 45 years and never even saw my husband's Gauguins!"